- Nao is now in your third year of living in Bangkok. Could you tell us what prompted you to move there?
The biggest motivation was simply that I wanted to learn more about Thai music. I was in a situation where I could potentially find work there as well, so I felt it was a turning point in my life. The quality of Thai records you can find in Japan is completely different from what you can find locally, so I’m really glad I made the move.
- Were you already into Thai music before moving to Thailand?
Yes, exactly. I’d always been into reggae and dub, as well as Turkish psychedelic rock and prog, so it felt natural that I’d end up getting into Thai music too. When I traveled to Thailand, I was completely blown away by what I heard there.
- Could you share the thoughts and ideas behind this mix?
Today, I focused on the luk thung genre of Thai music, especially selecting tracks that are more uptempo and danceable. Since the songs are very short—around two to three minutes each—I aimed to keep the set relatively flat in terms of dynamics, avoiding big peaks and drops, while maintaining a consistently danceable, steady flow.
- What kind of genre is "Luk Thung"?
It has the feel of songs sung by workers who came to Bangkok from rural regions across Thailand to earn a living, reflecting their longing for home. Many of the lyrics talk about local life and food, and there are also plenty of songs with playful or risqué humor.
- Around what years were most of the tracks you played today originally released?
Most of the recordings date from the 1960s to the early 1970s.
- Back then, was Thai music primarily released by state-owned labels, or were there also many independent, privately-owned labels?
There are state-run labels as well, but the kind of music I played today mostly comes from independent labels. Releases from state labels tend to be slower and more classical in feel, so they’re not really suited for DJ sets.
- How do you go about digging for these Thai music records?
Of course I buy records at record shops too, but Thailand really has a strong market culture. I keep track of where and when different markets are happening and stay ready to go dig anytime. Sometimes word gets around—*“That Japanese guy buys records”*—and people will actually reach out to me. I even bring a portable player so I can listen on the spot, haha.
- What do you find appealing about Thai music?
It incorporates a wide range of styles within a single framework—it can sound cumbia-like, dub-influenced, or Afro-inspired, depending on how you hear it. That flexibility makes it really exciting music to play as a DJ.
- From what we heard today, it seems like there’s quite a bit of Latin music influence, isn’t there?
Yes, exactly. When you’re digging for records, you come across major Latin artists like Perez Prado and Santana all the time, so I think their influence is really strong. Once you actually live there, you realize that people in Thailand are quite trend-driven and very quick to latch onto whatever’s popular. When one person does something, everyone tends to follow, and in music you’ll sometimes find entire periods dominated by a single style. I don’t think it would be an exaggeration to say there are well over a hundred Santana covers.
- This time you played a set consisting only of Thai music on 45s, but what kind of music do you usually play when it’s not Thai music?
These days, my sets mainly focus on Asian music—especially from Thailand, along with Malaysian gambus, Indonesian dangdut, Singaporean A Go Go, Vietnamese music, and sounds from the Indian cultural sphere—mixed with rhythms from around the world, both old and new, including Arab, African, Caribbean, and reggae influences.
When I play electronic music, I’ll sometimes take ’90s techno or trance 45s, slow them down, and play them almost like dub. Digging deeper like this is really educational—the more you explore, the more you start to see how scattered points from all over the world gradually connect.
- Besides DJing, what stimulates your creativity?
For me, the biggest inspiration comes from directly experiencing the cultures of different cities around the world and learning about ways of life that you could never imagine if you only stayed in a closed-off island nation.
- What kind of mindset is important to you as a DJ?
Not worrying about the mainstream that centers on house and hip-hop, and making sure not to lose sight of who you are.
World music often relies on off-beats—like reggae or garage rock—where the emphasis on the backbeat and the fourth beat is key. It’s neither disco tempo nor funk tempo, so what really matters is how you capture the crowd’s attention within those different rhythmic feels.
- Do you have any advice for those looking to start a career as a DJ?
I’m not really in a position to give advice, but—keep your faith!
- What plans do you have for 2026?
It’s not quite at the level of a concrete plan yet, but one of my dreams for this year is to collaborate with musicians who play traditional root instruments from Southeast Asia.
